5-HTP- the cure

For anybody out there that is a cranky ****er, has lots of anxiety, is depressed, overly stressed etc. etc. etc. you NEED to give 5-HTP a shot. I suffered from all of the above and now after taking 100mgs 4x per day for about 2 months I feel like a completely different person. I laugh again (hard), the small stuff doesn't piss me off, and I am overall a much more fun to be around. The stuff is pretty cheap (I bought the primaforce stuff from NP) and will remain a staple for me for the forseeable future. Any questions/comments/experiences lets hear them, I haven't really seen much info on this board about it, but it is the real deal and I want to spread the word.

brother...i thought i was the only one...most dont give it enough time to kick in, I came off it for a bit and in a month all my symptoms were back...now that you reminded me....Ill be reupping tomorrow!

brother...i thought i was the only one...most dont give it enough time to kick in, I came off it for a bit and in a month all my symptoms were back...now that you reminded me....Ill be reupping tomorrow!

cheers

Dead on, it takes about two weeks to get going. I ran out last month and was off for 2 weeks. Bad idea, within a few days I was cranky as ever.

I'm going to check this out. I think alot of my symptoms are related to sleep deprivation - I'm have insomnia - but maybe this will help with that too.

One of its main uses is as a sleep aid its a main ingredient in most sleep supps. Taking 300-400mg before bed is what people generally use for sleep. I had/have insomnia (mainly anxiety related) too, this has helped, but I also take Reduction PM.

For anybody out there that is a cranky ****er, has lots of anxiety, is depressed, overly stressed etc. etc. etc. you NEED to give 5-HTP a shot. I suffered from all of the above and now after taking 100mgs 4x per day for about 2 months I feel like a completely different person. I laugh again (hard), the small stuff doesn't piss me off, and I am overall a much more fun to be around. The stuff is pretty cheap (I bought the primaforce stuff from NP) and will remain a staple for me for the forseeable future. Any questions/comments/experiences lets hear them, I haven't really seen much info on this board about it, but it is the real deal and I want to spread the word.

I'm curious, are you using a formula that includes vitamin B6? I've always heard that 5-htp is activated by B6 and that they should be used together, but I recently read the following extremely interesting piece:

"5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is one of the transitional chemicals formed when tryptophan is converted to serotonin. Tryptophan is an amino acid—a class of compounds that, strung together in chains, makes up proteins. But individual amino acids are sometimes used by the body to produce other types of compounds. Tryptophan is one such amino acid. It gets converted by the body into 5-HTP and eventually into a compound that the brain and nervous system use, called serotonin. The pathway in the body goes from tryptophan to 5-HTP to serotonin.

Serotonin is an important type of chemical known as a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters act as messengers between brain cells (neurons) and affect the way the brain functions. The chemical name for serotonin is 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT: don’t get confused with 5-HTP!). Serotonin, among other things, is a primary component in the sleep cycle. Various conditions or problems may upset the balance of serotonin in the body and result in conditions like depression, insomnia or anxiety. Restoring that balance can improve emotional well-being.

One source of 5-HTP is from the seeds of Griffonia simplicifolia. The seeds undergo an extraction process that results in the production of 5-HTP. Supplement companies (such as LifeLink) have this extraction done by a German pharmaceutical company that has been manufacturing 5-HTP for use in Europe for the past 30 years.

In the body, the 5-hydroxytryptophan is converted into serotonin, which the brain then uses. The conversion of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) to serotonin (5-HT) is facilitated by the presence of certain enzymes. One enzyme known as an aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase clips off a carboxyl group (notated chemically as COOH). And voila: serotonin.

This conversion to serotonin has to be done in the brain since serotonin does not readily cross the blood-brain barrier. There’s plenty of the decarboxylase enzyme in the brain so that’s not a problem. But there’s also a fair amount in the liver and gut—and that can be activated by taking vitamin B-6 (because the conversion process also uses the B6 dependent enzyme). There is heated controversy over whether 5-HTP users should avoid taking vitamin B-6, or multi’s with B-6 in them, at the same time as 5-HTP (Sandyk R. 1992). Prudence suggests waiting at least 2 hours between doses and not exceed 5 mg of B6 near the time of 5-HTP use."

*from: delano.com/ReferenceArticles/HTP-B6-Controversy.html

So I'm curious what formula you used considering the success you had. Let us know!

Very interesting, none of the brands I have used have b-6 in them, but most of my vitamins/health supplements do. I might have to get some b6 to take with the 5htp to see how it works. Biggest thing for me has been making sure to take it regularly, I've read that it only hangs around your system for about 6 hours, so I try to take one every 4-5. does help with carb cravings, so if I can, 20 mins before meals too.

It looks like it is saying not to take B-6 because it will activate the enzymes in the liver and convert 5-htp to serotonin before it gets to the brain. The article says serotonin cant pass the blood brain barrier so you'd want it to remain 5-htp until it got in the brain; then convert to serotonin via the enzymes in the brain. Someone correct me if i am understanding this wrong.

It looks like it is saying not to take B-6 because it will activate the enzymes in the liver and convert 5-htp to serotonin before it gets to the brain. The article says serotonin cant pass the blood brain barrier so you'd want it to remain 5-htp until it got in the brain; then convert to serotonin via the enzymes in the brain. Someone correct me if i am understanding this wrong.

-Soma

I would love anyone to chime in on this too as I just reupped my supply, but this time decided to add the B6

I read that if taken in the presence of b vitamins, it can become seritonin in your bloodstream and cause health problems. So I guess the answer is that it does convert. I actually experienced a rapid heart beat and nothing in the way of a mood lift.

I used 5-htp on and off a while back and it worked wonders. At the right dosage it will completely take away a panic attack. I seemed to develop tolerance to it however so I stopped taking it. It was great while it worked. I still have a couple caps left. Primaforce is a good brand to get. I may try it again.. thanks for the post. Tryptophan gave me energy and did nothing for anxiety and it costs too much to take enough to feel something. 5-htp is the way to go.

“Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life"- John 6:68

I read that if taken in the presence of b vitamins, it can become seritonin in your bloodstream and cause health problems. So I guess the answer is that it does convert. I actually experienced a rapid heart beat and nothing in the way of a mood lift.

it "converts" but that is your body's way of creating serotonin - breaking tryptophan into 5-htp then converting it. So if you are concerned then maybe raising tryptophan level is enough.

but look at this like a doctor/scientist. If you have those issues, and they go away while taking 5-htp then it most likely means that you previously had a serotonin deficiency either from a tryptophan deficiency or from a flaw in your system that processes tryptophan + 5-htp, and that taking it the rest of your life is a good idea anyhow

Look up "serotonin" and "fibrosis" on pubmed. Scary info about heart and liver tisue containing HT (serotonin) receptors that seem to cause fibrosis and other problems with the heart and apparently liver too when serotonin activated those receptors.

This worries me some when considering my supplememntation with Tryptophan and has held me back from jumping to 5-htp. Does anyone have clarifying info about this issue?

Look up "serotonin" and "fibrosis" on pubmed. Scary info about heart and liver tisue containing HT (serotonin) receptors that seem to cause fibrosis and other problems with the heart and apparently liver too when serotonin activated those receptors.

This worries me some when considering my supplememntation with Tryptophan and has held me back from jumping to 5-htp. Does anyone have clarifying info about this issue?

Not sure about your question, but I always find queries like this slightly humorous. Not meaning to be condesending at all, just pointing out my opinion. The majority of us on this board dump bottles and bottles of artificial chemicals and hormones, that we know nothing about, into our bodies (ie, prohormones, fat burners, etc. etc.) without a second thought. Not because we don't research, but because with 'proprietary blends" its hard to tell exactly what is in something. But when it comes to more naturally occuring products like 5-htp, or fenugreek, and even soy people tend to pour over the minutia and become very concerned with highly unlikely outcomes. I'm not saying don't do your due dilligence when it comes to research before trying products, but sifting through every obscure study may be a little overkill.

Again, not trying to be a ****, start a fight or piss you off, just giving a brief editorial of my opinions on the matter. 5-htp has worked wonders for me and many many others, and in my research I never came across anything indicating fibrosis.

Tryptophan/5-HTP are not going to raise your seratonin levels to such extreme levels that seratonin-related illnesses are going to arise. If you are at normal serotonin levels, then either trypt or 5htp will then convert to melatonin.

07-28-2009, 12:22 PM

purebred

Originally Posted by nevergoodenough

The stuff is pretty cheap (I bought the primaforce stuff from NP) and will remain a staple for me for the forseeable future.

Does Primaforce sell @ retailers such as Vitamin Shoppe?

What are some other 5-HTP brands you folks trust? Back in the day, I used to take Solaray. This was back in the day, as I mentioned, when I used to think 'all brands were the same'.